L&I SCI 691
ELECTRONIC PUBLISHING & WEB DESIGN Graduate Project
Due: 12|19|09 GRADUATE WEBSITE EVALUATION PROJECT Over the course of the semester, you have been exploring web design from a visual design perspective. Your goal for this project is to research and evaluate academic sites that you feel are effective in terms of design and usability. Your final report will be documentation/summary of your findings.
You will post your findings to the epub wiki that has been set up for you at: http://epub.wikispaces.com . A page has been set-up for each of you to post to. Feel free to use this wiki as a live working document. Ideally you will post interesting discoveries, examples and ideas as you find them.I encourage you to visit the other student’s pages periodically to review what others are finding. (Please try to avoid reviewing the same sites).
Navigate to your page and choose "Edit This Page" to begin your collaboration. Note: I would advise you to keep a local copy of your findings in addition to the information you upload to this wiki. PART 1 – Academic Website Review
Please locate two academic websites that you feel are exceptional examples of effective design and usablity. Each site should be evaluated based on the design and usability criteria listed below.
For each site, please address the following questions.
Name of web site:
URL (web address): Goals & Audience
1. Can you identify what role the site plays in supporting the institutional, departmental or school goals?
2. What is the primary goal of the site? Secondary Goal?
3. Is the intent of the information clearly stated or implied? Please explain.
4. Is the intended audience easily identifiable? Who is the primary audience? Secondary Audience?
5. Does the writing style seem appropriate for the intended audience? Usability
6. Is the site easy to navigate? If so, please explain.
7. Is the information easy to find? What organizational system is used to make the information easy to find? Design
8. Is the interface consistent throughout the entire site?
9. Do the graphics, images, audio files, video files, multimedia, etc., serve a clear purpose and make a significant contribution to the site? What value do they add? (Please provide specific examples) Summary
Please describe the features of the site that you feel make it an exceptional example of effective design and usability. PART 2
The School of Information Studies is currently preparing for a redesign of the school’s website. This redesign is intended to address the current website’s shortcomings (http://www.uwm.edu/Dept/SOIS ). Please review the current SOIS website and focus on its current categories of information. · School/College Missions & Goals (About SOIS) · Academic Programs · Admission Information · Student Resources / Student Services · Research Centers / Research Specialties of the Faculty/School · News & Events · Alumni Relations/Services · Professional Development / Continuing Education · People – Faculty/Staff/Student contact information and profiles Examples
A. Please find a least one example (more if possible) of other academic websites that have effective solutions for presenting the information in the list above. Write a brief summary of each page (or feature) describing why you feel it is an effective solution for presenting the content. For example:
The Syracuse University, School of Information Studies website provides a link to student and alumni profiles from the homepage. This is an excellent way to feature the current and past student body of the school. I can see many benefits of presenting these profiles in this way for both current and prospectives students as well as potential employeers of these students. (Describe how it is accomplished. Describe the benefits or why you feel it is successful.)
Recommendations
B. Based on your review of other academic websites, what changes would you suggest for the UW-Milwaukee,School of Information Studies website? · Visual Changes? · Organizational Changes? · Added Features? Added Technologies? · What features are you finding on other academic websites that you feel are unique and extremely useful? Read & Reference
ELECTRONIC PUBLISHING & WEB DESIGN
Graduate Project
Due: 12|19|09
GRADUATE WEBSITE EVALUATION PROJECT
Over the course of the semester, you have been exploring web design from a visual design perspective. Your goal for this project is to research and evaluate academic sites that you feel are effective in terms of design and usability. Your final report will be documentation/summary of your findings.
You will post your findings to the epub wiki that has been set up for you at: http://epub.wikispaces.com . A page has been set-up for each of you to post to. Feel free to use this wiki as a live working document. Ideally you will post interesting discoveries, examples and ideas as you find them. I encourage you to visit the other student’s pages periodically to review what others are finding. (Please try to avoid reviewing the same sites).
Navigate to your page and choose "Edit This Page" to begin your collaboration.
Note: I would advise you to keep a local copy of your findings in addition to the information you upload to this wiki.
PART 1 – Academic Website Review
Please locate two academic websites that you feel are exceptional examples of effective design and usablity. Each site should be evaluated based on the design and usability criteria listed below.
For each site, please address the following questions.
Name of web site:
URL (web address):
Goals & Audience
1. Can you identify what role the site plays in supporting the institutional, departmental or school goals?
2. What is the primary goal of the site? Secondary Goal?
3. Is the intent of the information clearly stated or implied? Please explain.
4. Is the intended audience easily identifiable? Who is the primary audience? Secondary Audience?
5. Does the writing style seem appropriate for the intended audience?
Usability
6. Is the site easy to navigate? If so, please explain.
7. Is the information easy to find? What organizational system is used to make the information easy to find?
Design
8. Is the interface consistent throughout the entire site?
9. Do the graphics, images, audio files, video files, multimedia, etc., serve a clear purpose and make a significant contribution to the site? What value do they add? (Please provide specific examples)
Summary
Please describe the features of the site that you feel make it an exceptional example of effective design and usability.
PART 2
The School of Information Studies is currently preparing for a redesign of the school’s website. This redesign is intended to address the current website’s shortcomings (http://www.uwm.edu/Dept/SOIS ). Please review the current SOIS website and focus on its current categories of information.
· School/College Missions & Goals (About SOIS)
· Academic Programs
· Admission Information
· Student Resources / Student Services
· Research Centers / Research Specialties of the Faculty/School
· News & Events
· Alumni Relations/Services
· Professional Development / Continuing Education
· People – Faculty/Staff/Student contact information and profiles
Examples
A. Please find a least one example (more if possible) of other academic websites that have effective solutions for presenting the information in the list above. Write a brief summary of each page (or feature) describing why you feel it is an effective solution for presenting the content.
For example:
Syracuse University - http://ischool.syr.edu/ & http://ischool.syr.edu/newsroom/profiles/david_james.aspx
(Describe how it is accomplished. Describe the benefits or why you feel it is successful.)
Recommendations
B. Based on your review of other academic websites, what changes would you suggest for the UW-Milwaukee,School of Information Studies website?
· Visual Changes?
· Organizational Changes?
· Added Features? Added Technologies?
· What features are you finding on other academic websites that you feel are unique and extremely useful?
Read & Reference
Lynch, P. & Horton, S. (2008). Web Style Guide 3rd Edition
Available: http://www.webstyleguide.com/wsg3/index.html